[fatcat1955]

Mine are the right size for picking but i have a question. Do you leave them on the plant to dry or pick them. Are they not like other beans that if you leave them on the plant they stop other beans from being produced.

[compostqueen]

You can leave them if you want to eat them as dried beans or pick them and use them from fresh

I like drying them so leave the whole lot til the end of the year, and before frost and mice strike, I put them in the shed (foliage and all)  I put trays underneath to catch the beans as they fall off. Mice love them and break into my shed to eat them so I've had to bring them to my more mouse-proof shed at home 

[gypsy]

I do not dry them. I prefer to freeze them, I like the taste better.

[compostqueen]

oh that's worth knowing.  Thanks   

[RichardA]

I let mine dry on the plant, only bringing in to shed when the weather finally treatened to be bad over long period -- that was probably around late Sept. Let dry and also helped along by opening pods and then drying beans in shed and then in house. All kept well.
I did not notice any check in production because pods left on plant - I suspect all flowers lead to a pod in any case. Pods and beans were bigger because of longer growing time.
R

[mumofstig]

If you pick them and freeze them the plant carries on growing pods, if you leave them to dry on the plant the yield is lower.

They also take less time to cook from frozen........but it depends if you have enough space in the freezer

[Steve.B]

How do you cook the dried beans?

[gypsy]

........but it depends if you have enough space in the freezer

They are my fave bean so if there was not room for them in the freezer something else would get kicked out  This yr I have grown the climbing variety and for the 1st time I have grown the dwarf ones in front of the climbers, the dwarf are nearly ready for picking but the climbers have only just started getting pods on.

[compostqueen]

they reckon to cook in 40 minutes from dried but mine didn't and were still hard after that. They should be presoaked apparently - preferably overnight. 

[fatcat1955]

I will start picking tomorrow, and the wife can start shelling and freezing. lol

[gypsy]

Go on, help with the podding, it is a job you could sit down together and get done. Aaaah so romantic!